ACC ~ Matthew 18 v6 - 9

OVERVIEW:

The millstone stands for blind toil, for pack animals that are driven around in the circle with their eyes closed (HILARY OF POITIERS). When temptations come unaware, the situation is analogous to a sick person enjoying excellent care but refusing to follow the physician’s regimen (CHRYSOSTOM). Woe is pronounced upon those who voluntarily subject themselves to temptations. But the disciples, who are not attached to the things of the world, do not voluntarily enter into these temptations (ORIGEN). The whole world is not equally full of temptation to sin, but it is all filled with the possibility of fruitful action. It is “the world who knew him not” upon which woe is pronounced, not the world which Christ has reconciled to himself. To say figuratively it is full of chaff does not imply that it contains nothing good (AUGUSTINE).

The metaphor of cutting off limbs is really about friends and relatives who constantly cause temptation. For nothing is so harmful as bad company (CHRYSOSTOM). If at some time it happens that the eye so changes that it becomes a temptation to sin for the whole body, it would be better for it to be ripped out from the whole body than for the whole body together with the soul to be condemned (ORIGEN). If the hands or feet of the church (that is, any priest or deacon), either through heretical faith or depraved living, has brought temptations to sin on the church, the Lord orders that such be plucked from the body of the church and thrown out (CHROMATIUS).

18:6 | Causing a Believer to Sin

A SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MILLSTONE

HILARY OF POITIERS: These important items of comparison are not idle. Such an offender is to be sunk in the sea with both a millstone [1] and an asses’ pack load, [2] and even this is better [3] for him! What is better in the accepted sense of the word is always beneficial. What then is the utility of being sunk with an asses’ millstone hung around one’s neck? So harsh a death will profit him in terms of future punishment. In some way it will be beneficial to meet that death which is the ultimate of evils.

But how should we understand this spiritually? That is the deeper question. The millstone stands for blind toil, for pack animals are driven around in a circle with their eyes closed. And we frequently find the Gentiles referred to under the name ass. The Gentiles do not know what they do. They are in ignorance, and their life’s work is like blind labor. Not so the Jews. For them the path of knowledge has been set forth in the law. Insofar as they gave offence to Christ’s apostles, it was more just for them to be sunk in the sea with an asses’ millstone tied to their neck. ON MATTHEW 18.2. [4]

[1] Mola.

[2] Asinaria.

[3] Expediens.

[4] SC 258:76-78.

IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR WHOM?

JEROME: This can be viewed as a general sentence against all who raise a stumbling block. Yet according to the context of the discourse, it can also be understood as spoken against the apostles. In asking who was greater in the kingdom of heaven, they seemed to have just previously been contending among themselves for honor. If they persisted in this misbehavior they could lose those whom they were calling to the faith, if they should see the apostles fighting among themselves for honor.

But when Jesus said, “It would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck,” he is following the rite of the province and telling how among ancient Jews this was the punishment for major crimes, that they be sunk in the deep with a rock attached to them. It is better for him, because it is much better to receive a short, quick punishment for one’s sin than to be reserved for eternal tortures. For the Lord will not punish the same fault twice. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 3.18.6. [1]

[1] CCL 77:157-58.

18:7 | Temptations to Sin

WOE TO THE WORLD

ORIGEN: Jesus pronounced “woe for temptations to sin” on people scattered throughout the whole world who are subject to temptations. But the disciples, who do not contemplate the things that are seen, are not of the world. Neither is their Master of the world. Therefore the “woe for temptations to sin” does not apply to Jesus’ faithful disciples. Rather, “great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” [1] But there are some who appear to be disciples yet are still of the world. They love the world, and they love inordinately what is in it. They love the life that is led in these earthly places or the money which is in them, or the possessions or any resources whatsoever. The words “they are not of the world” do not apply to them. But “woe for temptations to sin” will apply to them since they are indeed of the world. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.21. [2]

[1] Ps 119:165 (118:165 LXX).

[2] GCS 40:237-38; ANF 9:487-88.

NECESSARY THAT TEMPTATIONS COME

CHRYSOSTOM: Perhaps one of our adversaries may think, If it is necessary that temptations come, why does he call woe down on the world when he ought to help it and offer a hand? For this is the task of the physician and the protector. Cursing the world is what the man in the street does. So what are we to reply to this shameless questioner? What equal of this therapy do you seek? For though he is God, he was made man for you, took on the form of a servant, suffered all the harshest treatment and still did not fail in anything that was assigned him. But because nothing further happened among ungrateful people, for this reason he calls woe down on them, because after so much fostering care they continued in their unsoundness. It is just as if some sick man were enjoying fine care but refused to follow his physician’s regimen. Suppose someone lamented the patient, saying, “Woe to that man for his sickness, which he has increased by his own laxity!” But in that case no benefit comes from the lament. Here, however, there is also a kind of therapy, in that Jesus foretells what will happen and laments it. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 59.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:573; NPNF 1 10:364.

WOE TO THE ONE BY WHOM TEMPTATIONS COME

AUGUSTINE: Of what world are we speaking when we say “Woe to the world for temptations to sin”? We speak of that world of which it is said, “And the world knew him not.” [1] We are not speaking of that world of which it is said, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” [2] There is an evil world, and there is a good world. In the evil world are all the evil ones of this world. In the good world are all the good ones of this world. We often hear it said of a field: his field is full. Of what? Of wheat. Yet we say also, and say truly too, his field is full of chaff. So with a tree, one says that it is full of fruit while another says it is full of leaves. Both speak truly. The supply of leaves has not usurped the place of the fruit, nor has the supply of fruit driven out the mass of leaves. The tree is full of both. But one thing is plucked by the wind; the other is picked by the harvester. So therefore when you hear, “Woe unto the world because of offenses,” do not be afraid. Love the law of God, and you will have no temptation to sin. SERMON 81.3. [3]

[1] Jn 1:10.

[2] 2 Cor 5:19.

[3] PG 38:501; NPNF 1 6:354* (Sermon 31).

18:8 | Cutting Off Causes to Sin

CUT IT OFF

CHRYSOSTOM: He is not saying this about human limbs. Far from it. This is said about friends, about relatives, whom we regard in the rank of necessary limbs. Jesus also said this earlier, [1] and now he says it again. For nothing is so harmful as bad company.

For what relationship cannot do, often friendship can do, both for harm and for benefit. So he orders us with great emphasis to cut off those who are harmful to us, implying that these are people who supply temptations to sin.

Do you see how he checks the future damage from temptations? First he predicts that they will happen, so that no one should be lazy, but everyone should be awake expecting them. Then he predicts that the evils will be very great. For Jesus did not simply say, “Woe to the world for temptations to sin,” but showed their great damage. For when he says, “But woe to that man by whom temptation comes,” he indicates a great punishment. He does not only mention this, but he increases the fear by adding a comparison.

And he supplies incontrovertible reasoning. If they remain your friends, you will not benefit them and you will destroy yourself. If you cut them off, at least you will preserve your own salvation.

Then, not content with this, he shows us the way by which we can escape temptations to sin. What is that? The wicked, he says, even if they are very friendly to you, cut them off from your friendship. Therefore if someone’s friendship harms you, cut him off from you. For if at times we cut off our limbs when they are incurable and are doing damage to our other members, how much more should we do this in the case of friends. If the limbs were evil by nature, all this advice and counsel would be useless; the warning of what is preached would be superfluous. If it is not superfluous, as in fact it is not, then it is clear that wickedness comes from the will. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 59.4. [2]

[1] Mt 5:29.

[2] PG 58:578; NPNF 1 10:367.

18:9 | Plucking Out an Eye

BETTER ONE EYE

ORIGEN: If somebody, in the whole body of the congregations of the church, is industrious and handy for practical action and he changes and his hand causes him to sin, the eye should say to this hand, “I have no need of you.” And after it has said it, let him cut it off and throw it from him. All will still be well if his head is still blessed and his feet worthy of his blessed head, so that the head, doing its duty, may not be able to say to the feet, “I have no need of you.” But if some foot is found which is a temptation to sin for the whole body, the head should say to this foot, “I have no need of you,” and should cut it off and throw it away from him. It is far better for the rest of the body to go on into life lacking the foot or hand that offers temptation to sin than for the whole body to be exposed to temptation and to be sent into eternal fire with two whole feet or hands. Likewise it is good if what could be the eye of the whole body shows itself worthy of Christ and of the whole body. But if at some time it happens that this eye so changes that it becomes a temptation to sin for the whole body, it will be better for it to be ripped out and thrown from the whole body … than for the whole body together with the soul to be condemned. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.24. [1]

[1] GCS 40:245-46; ANF 9:489.

FORBIDDING CORRUPT CHURCH LEADERS

CHROMATIUS: This sentence of the Lord can faithfully be understood about any one of us. Yet in cutting off a hand or foot or in plucking out an eye, it is clear that family relations or unbelieving ministers and leaders of the church are signified.

And so by “hand” we understand that priests are signified; like a hand their work in every area is necessary to the body of the church, about whom we find it written in the Song of Solomon: “his arms”—that is, the body of the church—“are rounded gold set with jewels.” [1] By “foot” we recognize that deacons are signified. In busying themselves with the sacred mysteries of the church they serve the body like feet, about which it is written in the same Song of Solomon: “His legs are alabaster columns, set upon bases of gold.” [2] And so, if hands or feet of this sort, that is, any priest or deacon, either through heretical faith or through depraved living, has become a stumbling block to the church, the Lord orders that such a man be plucked from the body of the church and thrown out. The example of his life and heretical doctrine endangers all the body of the church, that is, the whole people, when it follows or imitates such doctrine. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 56.2-4. [3]

[1] Song 5:14.

[2] HE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST | MATTHEW 14:1-12

[3] CCL 9a:478-80.